CU regents to meet tonight to get update on Jon Embree firing

Relatively new 'athletics committee' won't be invovled with coach search

The University of Colorado's Board of Regents will convene tonight for a closed-door meeting to discuss head football coach Jon Embree's firing.

CU's regents will not take any action on the personnel matter and the meeting is intended to keep board members in the loop about Embree's firing and the steps going forward to replace the coach, officials said.

The regents will meet and go into executive session at 6:30 p.m. at the CU system administration office, 1800 Grant St., in Denver.

Embree was fired Sunday afternoon by athletic director Mike Bohn. The firing came after the Buffs went 1-11 this past season and for the first time ever were winless in Folsom Stadium.

CU's regents don't vote on firings -- that's a decision made by top campus and university leaders. Nor will the board take any action on a buy-out because those stipulations already were outlined in Embree's contract that the regents approved.

The board does approve new contracts for coaches when such documents come forward.

"The regents vote to approve contracts for the football coach, but the dismissal is an administrative matter that doesn't require action from the Board of Regents," said CU system spokesman Ken McConnellogue.

The board's relatively new "athletic committee" will not be involved with the search for CU's next head coach, McConnellogue said. Regents approved formation of the athletic committee in November 2010, days after former head football coach Dan Hawkins was fired.

The committee is tasked with monitoring CU's compliance with NCAA rules and student athletes' academic performance, as well as reviewing construction plans for proposed athletic buildings.

A few regents voted against the measure, including Republican Steve Bosley, for fear that future board members would try to micro-manage hiring and firing decisions of coaches or try to set ticket prices for games.